By Royal Decree: Secrets of the Tudor Court #3

Charming. Desirable. Forbidden. Brought to court with other eligible young noblewomen by the decree of King Henry VIII, lovely Elizabeth “Bess” Brooke realizes for the first time that beauty can be hazardous. Although Bess has no desire to wed the aging king, she and her family would have little choice if Henry’s eye were to fall on her. And other dangers exist as well, for Bess has caught the interest of dashing courtier Will Parr. Bess finds Will’s kisses as sweet as honey, but marriage between them may be impossible....

Hornblower and the "Atropos"

In the wake of a humbling incident aboard a canal boat in the Cotswolds, young Captain Horatio Hornblower arrives in London to take command of the Atropos, a 22-gun sloop barely large enough to require a captain. Her first assignment under Hornblower's command is as flagship for the funeral procession of Lord Nelson. Soon Atropos is part of the Mediterranean Fleet's harassment of Napoleon, recovering treasure that lies deep in Turkish waters

I will read anything C.S. Forester writes. I will never listen to Nicolas Coster again. If he is the only choice - I will read the book in print.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Nicolas Coster?

Christian Rodska!

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I do love the book - the overall performance was so awful that it ruined it for me. I was angry most of the time I listened because of the narrator. The book is another great story in the Hornblower series.

Any additional comments?

I have listened to other books in the Hornblower series read by Christian Rodska and loved them. The reader of this book is so absolutely awful I may not finish it. I will never buy another audiobook read by him and will read the book in print instead. I am having to listen at a 1.5 speed because the reader sounds so slow and drunk. If you enjoy Rodska's reading - you will be greatly disappointed.

Lake in the Clouds

It is the spring of 1802, and the village of Paradise is still reeling from the typhoid epidemic of the previous summer. Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner have lost their two-year-old son, Hannah's half brother Robbie, but they struggle on as always: the men in the forests, the twins Lily and Daniel in Elizabeth's school, and Hannah as a doctor in training, apprenticed to Richard Todd. Hannah is descended from healers on both sides and her reputation as a skilled healer in her own right is growing.

I am listening to this series and I love it. I'm very frustrated that Audible's "member price" is still on average $10 higher than Barnes and Noble. I have emailed them about the huge difference in cost to it's members but have gotten no reply. I am looking forward to Fire Across the Sky but again - will I pay $10 more or use TWO credits - probably not.

This is a wonderful book. My husband and I both enjoyed listening to the narrators tell this story of love, power, mystery and custom. We are looking forward to the second and third books. The characters are well developed and the story is easy to follow.

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